Understand

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Climate
Puerto Rico has a tropical marine climate, which is mild and has little seasonal temperature variation. Temperatures range from 70˚F to 90˚F (21˚C to 32˚C), and tend to be lower at night and up in the mountains. The average annual temperature is 26°C (80°F). Hurricane season spans between June and November. Periodic droughts sometimes affect the island.

Terrain
Puerto Rico is mostly mountainous, although there is a coastal plain belt in the north. The mountains precipitous to the sea on the west coast. There are sandy beaches along most of the coast. There are many small rivers about the island and the high central mountains ensure the land is well watered, although the south coast is relatively dry. There is a fertile coastal plain belt in north. Puerto Rico's highest point is at Cerro de Punta, which is 1,338 m above sea level.

Eat

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Puerto Rico is a drive-through buffet. All you need is a car, an appetite (the bigger the better), time, and the realization that your swimsuit won't fit as well when you get to your destination. The island has the most diverse culinary offerings in the entire Caribbean. There's something for everyone. You can enjoy the finest Puerto Rican food on most traditional town squares and also (for those of you who get homesick) have a steak at a place like Morton's.

Cuisine
Authentic Puerto Rican food (comida criolla) can be summed up in two words: plantains and pork, usually served up with rice and beans (arroz y habichuelas). It is rarely if ever spicy, and to many visitors' surprise has very little in common with Mexican cooking.

Plantains (plátanos) are essentially savory bananas and the primary source of starch back in the bad old days, although you will occasionally also encounter cassava (yuca) and other tropical tubers. Served with nearly every meal, incarnations include:

mofongo — plantains mashed, fried, and mashed again, when filled up (relleno) with seafood this is probably the best-known Puerto Rican dish of them all

tostones — twice deep-fried plantain chips, best when freshly made

sopa de plátanos — mashed plantain soup, looks and tastes like baby food

The main meat eaten on Puerto Rico is pork (cerdo), with chicken a close second and beef and mutton way down the list. Seafood, surprisingly, is only a minor part of the traditional repertoire: the deep waters around Puerto Rico are poorly suited to fishing, and most of the seafood served in restaurants for tourists is in fact imported.

chicharrones — crispy dry pork rinds, Puerto Rico's favorite snack

chuletas — huge, juicy pork chops, available grilled or deep fried.

lechón asado — roast suckling pig, this is the pinnacle of Puerto Rican porkcraft. Served at specialty restaurants, with the town of Cayey off the San Juan-Ponce highway being particularly famous.

morcilla — blood sausage

pernil de cerdo — ham shoulder with oregano and garlic

A few other puertorriqueño classics include:

arroz con gandules — rice with pigeon peas, the unofficial national dish of Puerto Rico

arroz con jueyes — rice with land crab meat

asapao — a tomatoey spicy stew with...